


I Know You So Well

by RomeoandAntoinette



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Childhood Memories, F/M, Falling In Love, Family Feels, Friendship/Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-10-14
Packaged: 2019-07-01 05:15:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15767349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RomeoandAntoinette/pseuds/RomeoandAntoinette
Summary: A series of moments that detail Corrin and Jakob's life together, shown from two different perspectives. [Corrin/Jakob] [Fluff]





	1. I Know Her So Well

Jakob knew his liege well.

He knew that when he was first abandoned at the Northern Fortress by his parents to rot in a life of servitude, that he would have been thrown out if Corrin hadn’t saved him. The young noble had been so clumsy and terrible at chores that the other servants had resolved to toss him into the streets rather than try to remedy his behavior. Corrin was the only one to defend him. She parted the angry crowd and took his hand fearlessly. She pulled him up from the ground and led him away without a moment's hesitation. That was the day she had saved his life.

He knew from when they used to read books in the library together for their Book Club that she loved books about dragons the most. By the time she was a teenager, she could recite almost every fairytale by heart. He never got tired of hearing to retell the stories with the gusto of a true performer.

He knew that when she first learned to use a sword, she would sneak out of her bedchamber in the middle of the night to practice in secret. In the dark, she would accidentally inflict multiple injuries upon herself but always insisted against using any of the sparse medical supplies in the fortress to ease the pain of injuries caused by her own inexperience. Jakob only agreed if she promised to let him know when she intended to train so he could at least have hot water and a washcloth on standby to clean her wounds. From that day on, he stood nearby at her first and only attendant when she needed medical attention. Such devotion eventually led to him becoming her official retainer.

He knew that she was covered in scars. As was he. By the time they were both young adults, both had undergone strenuous combat training under the guidance of Xander and Gunter. Both of their bodies were branded with pale pink, slightly raised scars that laced up their limbs like garish ribbons. One day, when Corrin expressed discontent at her weakness as a warrior after staring at the evidence of her failures slashed across her body, Jakob couldn’t resist rolling up his sleeve and slowing her his own equally imperfect skin.

He knew that when she laughed, she would scrunch up her nose and turn her head up toward the heavens. Sometimes she would snort, and that would just make her laugh even louder. It was impossible for him to not smile at such a sight.

He knew that when she was overcome with fits of anxiety and sadness, she often got a headache afterward. He always made sure to have tea and sugar cookies on standby for when her sadness passed. He would revisit her room multiple times between chores and listen for her sobs and sniffles to ebb before he dared to knock. Sometimes it took until dawn, but he was willing to miss sleep for her.

He knew the decision between siding with her Nohrian or Hoshidan family broke her heart more than anyone could know. Even if she smiled in front of others, she could never completely fool Jakob. Once the two were alone, he brewed strong tea and encouraged her to talk until she had fully vented all her fears. She thanked him with a kiss on the cheek that left his face hot for a few hours.

He knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his days at her side, serving her loyally as her butler. Then, when she proposed marriage to him, enthusiastic agreement sprang from his lips before he had a second to stop himself. Not that he would have wanted to.

He knew that when she kissed him for the first time that she’d never kissed anyone else. In fact, neither had he. When they share their first kiss, she was enthusiastic to the point of clumsiness. When he took her beautiful face into her hands and she whispered his name in enthusiastic agreement, he knew then that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. It took days for such a revelation to finally sink in.

He also knew her body well. The way her velvet lips would part after only a few touches, the curve of her incisors and the taste of honey on her tongue were all second-nature sensations to him. He knew the softness of her thighs and the natural slope of her breasts. He knew where she was ticklish and knew to avoid spots where injuries from the battlefield made the flesh to sore to kiss. Jakob memorized every slope and plane of her body so that he could worship her fully, from head to toe.

He knew that she liked to sleep on her back unless it was cold. Then she would throw extra blankets on the bed and roll closer to him. She’d place her head on his shoulder and stroke his hair lovingly, whispering that her favorite place in the world was his arms, because she was never alone there and always felt at peace. Jakob always agreed and told her that, without her strength and guidance, he'd truly be at a loss. 

He knew she liked to tease him and make him blush. Sometimes she would surprise him with a kiss that would shatter their master-servant decorum instantly if witnessed by others. Sometimes, they would lay in bed after sex and she’d confide in him about how his eyes reminded her of lavender fields, or how his hair was like moonlight. He’d stutter in boyish embarrassment every time, and she would only laugh and kiss him again. He swore that one day his heart would burst because of her.

Again, he was right. Twice.

When she held both their newborn sons in her arms, he swore that there wasn’t a more beautiful woman in the world that could compare to Corrin. Both their sons were just as lovely as her, with the same wild hair and dreamy eyes. The first and second time that she gave birth, she held the babies lovingly while he sat nearby and tried to blink the tears out of his eyes. He failed both times. The second time, a young Dwyer had tried to wipe his father's tears away with a tissue, only to get squeezed in a loving hug. 

Jakob, who had previously resented the idea of fatherhood after the trauma of his abandonment, promised to protect his family forever, no matter the cost. Corrin agreed without hesitation.

When war forced the young couple to place their children into the Deeprealms for protection, he knew they would never be the same. The despair he felt that day, as he held his sobbing wife in his arms as he cried over her shoulder, would haunt him forever. When they retired to their room that night, he knew nothing could alleviate the sorrow in their hearts.

Years passed before the parents saw their children again.

He knew that when Kana and Dwyer came to live with the army after years in their different Deeprealms, that they would never be apart from each other as a family ever again. Even if it took the rest of his life to rebuild the broken bonds between him and his children, Jakob was damned certain he’d see it through. With Corrin at his side, even the most insurmountable tasks suddenly became possible.

The next morning, when Corrin was resigned to bed in extreme exhaustion from spending all night talking and tending to the needs of her sons following their arrival to the astral plane, Jakob requested the morning off to spend time with his family. When it came time for breakfast, he produced a variety of fruits and pastries, along with a huge tray of sugar cookies.

She smiled at him radiantly. The gesture gave her a cause to snort in laughter as she pulled him close for a kiss.

“Jakob, you know me so well.”


	2. I Know Him So Well

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The relationship between a butler and a princess. This time, from Corrin's POV.

Corrin knew her butler well.

At least, she liked to think so. It would certainly make sense. She’d known Jakob for almost two decades, after all.

For example, she knew that he hated when other people saw him cry. In the few weeks following the night his parents had abandoned him on the steps of the Northern Fortress to rot in a life of harsh servitude, he would often retreat to vacant bedrooms or hallways and cry. He didn’t want anyone to see his tears, but Corrin had.

As one of the sole inhabitants of the citadel, it was impossible for her to not notice the young boy’s tears or how his cries would echo down the hall. Of course, she never told him that she saw him crying on multiple occasions. If the young princess heard his sobs, she’d stop dead in place and lean against a wall. She would remain perfectly still as to not alert him to her presence. No matter how late at night it was or how cold the floors were, she would sink against the wall and remain close by until his sobs had subsided. On the rare occasion that another servant happened to be approaching, Corrin would swoop into action to distract them away from Jakob’s nearby location. Corrin knew Jakob wanted his tears of sadness to be secret, and the least she could do for the poor servant boy was help protect his few moments of miserable solace.

She knew that he disliked mushrooms. A lot. While he obviously tried to be covert about his disdain for them, Corrin couldn’t help but notice that he’d occasionally go without eating if mushrooms were the only dining option. The princess disliked seeing one of her friends waste away and found herself hoarding fruits and jams from other meals and saving them for Jakob. If he hadn’t eaten, she’d surprise him at tea time with berries or with a jar of fruity jelly he could smear of the incredibly hard bread the staff members of the fortress received from nearby towns. He always attempted to refuse her gifts, until his stomach would grumble in objection to his strictness.  Over time, she learned he liked strawberries and blackberries the most. The knowledge came in extra handy when she made sure to have plenty of his favorite fruits on hand to surprise him on his cold, December birthdays.

She knew he was a much better athlete than he was a healer. Sometimes the princess would be stirred from her reading by the sound of clanging blades and vocal cursing. Upon arriving in the courtyard, she’d find the veteran knight Gunter sparring with Jakob. Even as a teenager, he’d been dexterous and agile. The young woman noticed how swift his movements were and couldn’t help but admire his grace compared to when he’d first arrived at the fortress when he’d spilled tea and dropped plates almost every day.

As she grew older, she also noticed other things. She noted the defined lines of his forearms when he pushed his sleeves up with growing interest. She never missed a second when he unbuttoned the neckline of his shirt following an intense sparring session to cool down. She even noticed how his jaw would clench whenever he failed to land an attack, and then how he would let out a condescending laugh when he managed to deflect a blow. She saw him gradually become more confident in his fighting abilities over the years, and it made her heart feel full. As she grew to know him more personally, she’d come to learn the confidence he displayed in battle was only a superficial façade.

She knew Jakob was incredibly insecure. The other individuals in the fortress, and in the kingdom as well, frequently cited Jakob’s arrogant persona with immense distaste. He was too much of a perfectionist, they said. Every task, from laundry to cooking, had to be completed promptly and with inexcusable accuracy. Others found his tenacity to be a constant pain in the ass. They also found his attitude rude and insufferable. Yet, they kept him around to properly serve them. Corrin knew they shamelessly called attention to his brusque personality all while taking advantage of the skills he’d desperately struggled to create as a coping mechanism to find even some shred of self-worth following his abandonment. Corrin realized what Jakob was doing and took it as a challenge to always make sure Jakob knew she cared about him. She thanked him when he accomplished tasks. She surprised him with small gifts of affection. She even hugged him on occasion, which Jakob always reminded her was a strict breach of butler-master protocol they had to enforce. No matter how many times he reminded her of their boundaries, she never stopped, because she sort of enjoyed breaking protocol with him. She also couldn’t help but notice Jakob never pulled away.

She knew he was loyal to a fault. When the young princess was forced to choose between her two families in Nohr and Hoshido, he’d followed her without regret. He lingered close by in battle and had even jumped with her into the Bottomless Canyon. Jakob respected her, believed in her, and was undoubtedly loyal to her. He was her retainer and best friend, and Corrin found it difficult to not wish for something more.

Corrin eventually got her wish, and as she’d soon learn, Jakob’s wish as well. While the two had busied themselves with tending to and building their army in the astral plane during the war, they’d also drifted closer. They worked together on taking inventory, preparing supplies and even preparing gardens to grow food so that they could feed their growing group of allies. One day, Corrin decided to ask Jakob if he could teach her how to prepare tea, so she could become more independent. Everything went well until one day when he inexplicably distanced himself from her after one of their lessons. The princess chased him down in a fit, frantic that she’d done something to hurt him or offend him. When she confronted him, he confessed that he feared he’d fallen in love with her. He told her that it wasn’t appropriate, and to avoid tarnishing her reputation, he needed to leave. She didn’t waste a second pulling him close and proclaiming that she loved him too. She’d also been so shocked at the time that she’d gracelessly flunked a romantic confession and, of all things, _fired_ him as her butler. However, when she asked him to be her husband instead and he exclaimed ‘Yes!’ at the top of his lungs, she swore her heart would have leaped from her throat and soared if she hadn’t been so excited to finally kiss the man she loved.

She knew he hated mornings. There were plenty of sleepy days following hard-fought battles where he would refuse to get out of bed until it was absolutely necessary. As she laid beside him, she could feel his body shift when he awakened every morning. The motion was also almost always followed by a humorous grumble. She could never resist rolling on top of him and snuggling into his warm body. She adored when they could steal precious moments of sleep together before the rising sun forced them apart and onto the battlefield again.

She knew he secretly enjoyed praise. While most people would have never noticed, Corrin made sure to note the flushed look on his cheeks whenever she applauded him or thanked him for accomplishing something, especially if it was a difficult task. Corrin took advantage of the fact on multiple occasions, especially late at night when they stole more than a couple precious moments together. While their limbs were tangled, and their chests heaved against each other’s, Corrin whispered sultry comments into his ear. Each scalding declaration of praise caused him to groan in desire. Her worship was punctuated with hard, needy thrusts that drove her hander into the mattress and made her scream his name in blissful, enthusiastic abandon.

She knew he would make a wonderful father. When Corrin told Jakob she was pregnant, he’d swept her into his arms in an instant and twirled her around the room like a madman. They must have talked for hours about their child, and what it would be like to raise a family. Later that night, he’d also confided in her that he was also anxious about being a father. He promised he would never, ever treat Corrin or their children how his father and mother had treated him. He’d promised this over and over again frantically, even as Corrin held him in their dark bedroom and whispered to him each time that she fully believed him.

She knew that, when the couple made the painful decision to put their children into the Deeprealms to spare them from the horrors of war, that their bond would be tested like never before. In fact, it was true.

Two members of their family, their _sons_ , were removed from their lives until Corrin and her army could see the bloodbath of a war before them to its completion. She’d been devastated by the decision, and Jakob had paced about in an absolute fervor about how they’d abandoned their children. He told her he’d failed his promise to her. He told her _he_ was a failure. Perhaps if he was better or more skilled, he could have protected their children without having to send them away. Corrin reassured him it wasn’t true, but Jakob wouldn’t hear it. They both vowed to see their children as often as possible. Jakob would bring their sons gifts and Corrin would reassure they had housing and staff to care for their every need. However, deep in her heart, she knew all the love in the world they showered from another dimension would never make up for the fact that they had abandoned their boys.

She knew he was secretly quite sensitive. It was difficult for her husband to own emotions after spending a majority of his life under the impression that personal strength could only be accomplished through cold indifference and forced composure.

When the day finally came when Kana and Dwyer rejoined them, he’d been so overjoyed and frazzled that she swore he spent the entire evening and night running from place to place, getting their sons accommodated in the encampment and cooking food to fill their stomachs. When she finally saw him again, he almost collapsed into her from exhaustion. Corrin would have thought her husband would have fallen asleep in her arms had it not been for his tight embrace and the delicate warmth from his tears she felt on her face.

Corrin used her strength to keep him upright, smiling softly at his tears of joy.

“Jakob, with all due respect, I’m going to request that you like time off tomorrow,” she said gently, placing a kiss on his cheek. “Actually, I order you to take time off. As your Queen, and as your wife who wants to spend time with her whole family again. Plus, I know how much you hate mornings anyway, and we don't need to terrify our troops after such a merry occasion.”

She heard him laugh against her shoulder before he pulled away and took her beautiful face in his hands.

“My love, you know me too well.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finished! This was a really fun fic to write. I thought about writing another chapter from Kana/Dwyer's perspective about their parents, but honestly, this feels like a good way to end this fic. I hope it was enjoyable for you guys to read!
> 
> Again, thank you guys so much for all your support, and also for reading all the way to the end! I really appreciate it. As always, I'm sending many virtual hugs and kisses.  
> Love you guys, and talk to you soon!


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